By Dave HuthCritical commentary and ponderous ramblings about new ways to make media, and new ways to watch it. My own observations and opinions, open for response and discussion. Join the conversation!

September 26, 2006

Oprah vs. Your Mom: Revolution Within the Opracracy

The companion Web site to this Oprah-person's TV show makes a startling claim: "Oprah.com is your leading source for information about love, life, self, relationships, food, home, spirit and health."

Good lord, that can't be right. I know who's my leading source for these things. It's not Oprah.com, it's my mom. And for you, I think there's a good chance it's your mom. I think this because I've met a whole bunch of people, and sometimes they tell me their leading source for these things. Typically, it's their mom.

So what's wrong with your mom? Is she stupid? Doesn't she have anything to say about love, life, and self? Is she a moron when it comes to relationships? Is her food poisonous? Doesn't she let you come home? Isn't she spiritual? Does she make people sick?

No? Then why in the name of Alexander Graham Internets doesn't she have her own TV show?

I'm not saying your mom should make the definitive show about love-life-self-etc. watched by everyone in the world. This is a new world, and not every media property needs to be a blockbuster. Indeed they probably shouldn't bust blocks -- moms do best one-on-one after all. But why on earth have you let Oprah claim the "leading source" territory that should be held by your mom?

Look, I'm sure this Oprah person is perfectly nice. But she's an utter stranger to me. How a stranger, backed by a massive international media conglomerate, sending messages I didn't ask for that aren't based on anything in my personal experience, can make the outlandish claim of being the leading source on 8 of the 9 most important aspects of my life (pizza has been oddly excluded from Oprah's list) is symptomatic of the condition that citizen created media exists to correct.

Creative efforts within the New Media Landscape (TM) are an attempt to bring a wider set of voices to the conversation about love, life, self, relationships, food, home, spirit and health. And also politics, art, entertainment, philosophy, knitting, frogs... and you.

This is about opening up the media discussion to other voices I believe have something more to say. Why should the answers to some of life's most important questions be provided by the same elite group of Oprahs? Did I vote for the representatives of this Opracracy? Do they represent my neighborhood's interests? Do they share my community's values?

There's a reason most people don't trust traditional media messengers.